Parks authority, safari operator in bitter wrangle

By Golden Sibanda

From The Herald
December 22, 2009

THE Parks and Wildlife Management Authority is embroiled in a bitter wrangle with a hunting safari operator over the disposal of the Decatell Safaris hunting concession.

Harare businessman Mr Tobias Musariri has operated the safari since 1985.

Government had allocated him the hunting concession as part of efforts to help indigenous people break into the formerly white dominated sector.

However, the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority recently auctioned off the concession in an exercise Mr Musariri did not take part in.

The businessman did not bid for the concession insisting it had been given to him on a permanent basis as part of an empowerment process.

Hwange Safaris, trading as Decatell Investments, was recently auctioned off to Mr Butcher Walker for US$90 000.

This was after the initial winning bid by a Mr Banks, a professional hunter who once worked for Mr Musariri, had failed to pay the US$106 000 he had bid to take control of the concession.

Contacted for comment Parks and Wildlife Management Authority director general Dr Morris Mutsambiwa said nothing was irregular in the manner the hunting concession was auctioned.

Dr Mutsambiwa said the parks authority had auctioned off the concession for the Hwange Safaris after the Government stipulated empowerment period relating to Mr Musariri had lapsed.

"We wrote to the Attorney-General and we were told that everything we wanted to do was according to the law. There have been a lot of allegations about this black empowerment issue.

"Mr Musariri had exceeded his time allowance. He was supposed to run it for five years and then we auction it off to someone," said Dr Mutsambiwa.

He said the parks authority was doing this with all the other concessions across the country at the end of each leasing period.

Efforts to get a comment from the Harare businessman were fruitless as he was said to be at his farm while his spokesperson was said to have travelled out of the country and would be back in two weeks.

Mr Musariri is reportedly preparing to approach the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Francis Nhema over the issue.

"He had wanted to immediately approach the minister, but could not since the minister was away attending the climate change conference.

"The minister is the one who should approve the disposal of such concessions and is quite aware of the status of the Hwange Safaris concession," said the source.

Hwange Safaris is one of the seven sport hunting safaris in the Matetsi area of Hwange.

Apparently, black empowerment doesn't mean black entitlement...

it does here...

Rich

After 25 years on the gravy trin he is complaining when he has to pay for things...the same has already happened with Matetsi unit 2 and hopefully will happen to Unit 4 before the end of next year. Unit 7 is also under discussion...since the operator has suddenly failed to pay the concession fee since the economy dollerised. He has ben paying Z$ 100,000 per year (with no trophy fees) since 1996.

It will be good for the hunting and the game!